I’ve always enjoyed hearing the chromatic harmonica in the hands of a master like Hendrik Meurkens who plays clarion, poignant and lyrical music, in this context with the Cologne-based WDR Big Band. Samba Jazz Odyssey is a very fine collaboration that results in a diversity of expression and emotional depth.  Conducted by Michael Philip Mossman, The WDR Big Band includes a full section of saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and flute, as well as strong rhythm from guitar, piano, bass and drums. German-born, New York-based Meurkens displays a radiant shine on self-penned selections on Samba Jazz Odyssey, an album that Meurkens calls “a vivid voyage through samba jazz in its many forms.” Opening with “A Night in Jakarta,” they begin with the vivid and lively samba of the South Pacific. “Manhattan Samba” is a tune of many layers, runs, and hits as Meurkens plays his solo with bluesy buoyancy and brightness. From there to central Europe, Meurkens and The WDR Big Band play one of his veritable hits, “Prague in March.”

With a more urbane feeling, “Sambatropolis” features nice, delightful musical conversations between the harmonica and alto sax. “Mountain Drive” was named after a car ride from Denver to Aspen, and it melodically captures the natural beauty of the jagged mountains and greenery of the American West.  Beginning with pulsing drum hits, Mossman’s “You Again” unfolds with a steady groove and blooming harmonies. Meurkens wrote “Bolero Para Paquito” for legendary jazz saxophonist and clarinetist Paquito D’Rivera, a major source of inspiration and positive Latin jazz energy. “Samba Tonto” is a samba in seven with a bridge that undulates between 2/4 and 3/8. I’ll bet the big band had fun working this one up, and they present it with aplomb. Closing with “Choro,” a well-known piece by Jobim, we hear a fresh interpretation of the tune as a result of Mossman’s cinematic arrangement of it.

Peaking at #17 on The Roots Music Report's Top 50 Jazz Album Chart, Samba Jazz Odyssey is an album with originality and vision, and luminous moments for Meurkens, The WDR Big Band, and jazz community at large. We thank them for taking us along on the journey and sharing their extraordinary adventure. (Joe Ross, Roots Music Report)